Born:
  Chelsea, Massachusetts,

Current Home:
New York, New York,

Marvin Terban

Biography

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Called a “master of wordplay” and “Mr. English for Kids,” Marvin Terban is Dr. Grammar on Scholastic.com. He was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and his first writing job was a column for the local newspaper when he was still in high school. He was also the editor of his school newspaper and literary magazine. He went on to Tufts and Columbia Universities, where he received Bachelor's and Master's degrees respectively. For over 40 years, he has taught English, Latin, Public Speaking, and theater to grades 5 to 12 at the Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in New York City.

Terban took a break from the classroom to produce audio-visual educational programs for public television, the CBS Learning Center, and Universal Educational Corporation. Returning to the classroom with renewed energy, he developed teaching games that used humor to help students understand and enjoy the mystifying idiosyncrasies of the English language. Those games grew into the highly original series of funny books on English for which he is known. Terban's books have made it as far as Shanghai University in China, where they are used to teach English to adults. Two of his books were turned into computer games. He and his wife Karen, a former special education teacher, also wrote two books for teachers.

Terban acts in local community theater plays to raise money for charitable causes. He also had small parts in movies directed by Woody Allen. For many summers he directed plays at a children's camp in the Catskill Mountains. He has paid “Meet the Author” visits to schools, conferences, and conventions all over the United States, South America, Europe, Israel, and Japan. Marvin and Karen Terban live in New York City across from Central Park and have two children David and Jennifer, a new granddaughter, and a cat named Tiger.

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  The Teacher Store

  The Ultimate Homework Book: Grammar, Usage & Mechanics by Marvin Terban Dozens and dozens of fun, attention-getting practice pages help students in Grades 3-6 along the path to becoming more confident writers and readers. This book provides exactly the repeated practice students need to hone essential grammar, usage, and mechanics skills. Topics include parts of speech, punctuation, overused words, and much more. Flexible and easy to use—for homework or in school. Also a great way to boost vocabularies! 176 pages. $19.99 Professional Book | Grades 3-6

  
  The Ultimate Homework Book: Grammar, Usage & Mechanics
  Grades 3-6 $19.99
  
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  The Teacher Store

  Verbs, Verbs, Verbs by Marvin Terban A clear and accessible reference that helps your child conjugate more than 100 of English's irregular verbs, this guide will explain the ins and outs of linking verbs, active and passive voices, helping verbs and more. Entertaining sample sentences demonstrate how to use each verb tense correctly, developing your child's grasp of grammar and building his reading and writing confidence. Educational Edge Focusing on one of the trickier parts of English, this reference will $13.95 Hardcover Book | Grades 3-Up

  
  Verbs, Verbs, Verbs
  Grades 3-Up $13.95